The Book of Phoenix takes place when scientific civilization was still proudly manipulating the world on a vast scale, but just before its downfall. So perhaps around now? Who Fears Death, by the same author, is a mystical story set

Hi. I’m B.T. Lowry. Welcome to this week’s scene of the week, Bouncing off Borders. I shuffled up to the immigration desk. “Papers,” said a brawler of a man with a thick black mustache. I furnished him with my passport.

“Instead of branding people according to which camp they’re in and which flag they’re waving, it’s far better to look at underlying motives.” This week I’m pausing the scene-of-the-week series. I’ve been thinking about religion and science, and how too